Little Dizzle

David Russo is an independent film artist based in Seattle,Washington. In 2006, David finished his newest 35mm film, "I Am (Not) van Gogh', which premiered in Europe at Clermont-Ferrand, then at SxSW in the States, and won the “Juror’s Choice Award” (top prize) at the Black Maria Festival, as well as Critics Jury Prize at Huesca Int’l. The film has also been picked up for European broadcast by Canal +, and twenty 35mm prints were purchased by the French Ministry of Culture for theatrical distribution throughout France. In spring 2006, David was honored with an Emmy for Visual Effects for his title sequence on the documentary television series, “Community Stories.” Most recently, David has created imagery for the Thom Yorke (of Radiohead) music video, “Harrowdown Hill.” He’s been named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s “New Faces of Independent Film,” and was the recipient of The Stranger “Genius” Award for film. His films "Populi" (2002) and Pan With Us (2003) premiered in back to back years in the Sundance shorts competition, with the latter garnering an “Honorable Mention.” Both films appeared in dozens of festivals around the world including Telluride, Toronto, Aspen, Edinburgh & Clermont-Ferrand, and both continue touring to this day. "Pan With Us" was released theatrically in “The Animation Show (2005),” a unique short film program curated by Mike Judge and Don Hertzfeldt. "Populi" has been acquired by Vulcan Inc/ First & Goal, and installed as a permanent, public media artwork at Qwest Field (Seahawk stadium) in Seattle. "The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle" is his first feature film.

To view David's short films online click here.

Peggy Case is an award-winning director and producer of documentaries, dramas and art specials. Peggy’s recent feature film experience includes producing “Zoo,” directed by Robinson Devor and distributed by THINKFilm, an official selection in the Documentary Competition at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. She also produced “We Go Way Back,” directed by Lynn Shelton and distributed by Cyan Pictures (winner, Grand Jury Award, Slamdance Film Festival 2006 and winner of the Grand Prize for Best Feature, 2006 Torun Film Festival, Poland). Peggy also co-directed and produced her own short dramatic film, “The Liar,” about a little girl who tells her first lie, an award-winner at the USA Film Festival’s Short Film and Video Competition. Her directing work includes the “Be More” national campaign for PBS, a collection of powerful documentary portraits awarded the 2004 Silver Promax and the Ciné Golden Eagle. Other credits include broadcast spots commissioned by American Documentary/ POV (2004) and “Perfect Illusions: Eating Disorders and the Family,” a feature documentary for national PBS, distributed throughout Europe. Peggy is the creator of “Inside The Box,” which debuted on prime-time PBS. Critics applauded the series’ innovative, intimate election-year exploration of America’s most deeply-held beliefs. Peggy’s work has also appeared on the BBC (“Jimi Hendrix: The Man They Made God,” Channel 4/UK (“21st Century Jet”) and the Discovery Channel.

Michael Seiwerath has worked in independent film in Seattle for more than a decade, as both a curator and film producer. Since 1996 he has worked at Northwest Film Forum (NWFF), a Seattle-based film arts organization operating a two screen cinematheque and providing production and education resources to regional filmmakers. The flagship organization of the Northwest filmmaking community, NWFF aids in the production of 80 short and feature films annually, created by 300 filmmaking members. As Executive Director, Seiwerath oversees all aspects of film production and exhibition. In this capacity, he has acted as Producer or Executive Producer on three feature-length films. Each were made through NWFF’s acclaimed Start-to-Finish program, a unique partnership with a Northwest filmmaker that produces a narrative feature film, funded through both non-profit donations and private equity investments. The most recent Start-to-Finish film, “Police Beat” (2005), premiered in dramatic competition at the Sundance Film Festival, and has played worldwide. Seiwerath has served on national panels and juries for the National Endowment for the Arts, Creative Capital, and the Slamdance Film Festival. In 2005, he was the recipient of the Stranger Genius Award for Film.

Adrienne Stern Casting Director As a casting director, her films have premiered at Sundance, Toronto, Cannes, Tribeca, Berlin, South By Southwest, Seattle, etc., many taking home prestigious awards.

Ms. Stern had two films in the Sundance 2007 competition, “Broken English,” directed by Zoe Cassavetes, starring Parker Posey and Drea DeMatteo, and “Adrift in Manhattan,” directed by Alfredo De Villa, starring Heather Graham, Victor Rasuk, William Baldwin, and Dominic Chianese.

Her films include “The Believer” (Showtime 2002), Sundance Grand Jury Award 2001; starring Ryan Gosling, Summer Phoenix, Billy Zane and Theresa Russel; “Thirteen Conversations about one Thing” (Sony Pictures Classics 2002) Toronto 2001, Sundance 2002; starring Matthew McConaughey, John Turturro, Alan Arkin, Clea Duval, and Amy Irving. Three films for Dimension: “Mimic Sentinel,” “Hellraiser 7” and “Hellraiser 8.” New York casting director on “Eurotrip” (Dreamworks). “The Five Senses” (Fine Line) Cannes 1999; starring Mary-Louise Parker, Molly Parker and Marco Leonardi. “Tarantella” (PBS), starring Mira Sorvino and Matthew Lillard. Other films at Sundance include: “This Revolution,” Sundance 2005 American Spectrum, starring Rosario Dawson, Brendan Sexton III and Amy Redford, “The Technical Writer,” starring Tatum O’Neil, Michael Harris, and William Forsythe, Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival 2003. “Online,” Sundance 2002 American Spectrum, starring Josh Hamilton, Harold Perrineau, and Vanessa Ferlito. “Whatever” (Sony Pictures Classics) American Spectrum Sundance 1998, starring Liza Weil. “Girlstown,” Sundance Audience Award 1996, starring Lili Taylor, Bruklin Harris, and Aunjanue Ellis.

Ms. Stern has also cast “Tollbooth,” starring Marla Sokoloff, Tovah Feldshuh, and Idina Menzel. “Mallcop,” Slamdance 2005, starring Kathleen Robertson and Derek Cecil. “American Brown,” Tribeca 2004, starring Ryan Kwanten, Hill Harper, Natasha Lyonne, and Eloudie Bouchez. “Satan’s Little Helper,” Tribeca 2004, starring Amanda Plummer. “The Woodcutter,” starring Danny Glover, Linda Hamilton, Ron Perlman, and David Strathairn. “Life on the Ledge,” starring Melissa Sagemiller, Tovah Feldshuh. “David and Layla,” starring David Moscow and Shiva Rose. “Perception,” starring Piper Perabo, Heather Burns, Seth Meyers, Nick Scotti, Aunjanue Ellis, Ajay Naidu, David Rasche, and MaryBeth Hurt. “Just A Kiss,” starring Jeremy London, Kathryn Winnick, Elisa Donovan, and Mirelly Taylor.

New Films to look out for include: “Don’t Fade Away,” starring Mischa Barton, Ryan Kwantan, and Beau Bridges, “Descent,” starring Rosario Dawson, “Feel,” starring Kevin Corrigan, William Baldwin, and Tom Bower. “Stiffs,” starring Danny Aiello and Jon Polito. She is currently casting, “A Beautiful Life,” written by Wendy Hammond and Deborah Calla and to be directed by Alejandro Chomski, “Johnny Postal,” written by Rick Martinsen, Frank M. Calo, & Vincent Mazzeo, Jr., and to be directed by Frank M. Calo, “Jones Party,” written by Joshua James and to be directed by Kenneth Bowser, “Our Lady of Victory,” written/directed by Tim Chambers, “Silky Pink,” written/directed by Steve Shill, “The Strange Effect of Everett Singer,” written/directed by Russell Costanzo, “The Ivory Trade,” written/directed by Laurence Gingold, and “Shoedog,” to be directed by Bill Paxton , written by George Pelecanos.

Her producing credits include “This Revolution” and “Twist,” starring Nick Stahl. Ms. Stern was the casting director of the New York Sundance Writers Lab Reading Series from 1996 to 2006. She has been on both the selection committee and jury for the Gen Art Film Festival. She is a member of BAFTA, IFP, New York Women in Film and Television, and Ensemble Studio Theatre.